Groves discusses Golovkin v Murray

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World super-middleweight contender 'Saint' George Groves has experienced firsthand the quality of reigning WBA Super world middleweight champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin, but insists Martin Murray is the man to test the Kazakh destroyer when they meet on Saturday (February 21) in Monte Carlo.

Groves, a two-time world title challenger, spent a week in training camp with Golovkin last summer and the pair sparred a number of rounds together. It offered the Londoner the chance to see exactly why Golovkin, 31-0 (28 KOs), is the most feared fighter on the planet right now.

“Sometimes you get a quick puncher who hits hard, like Mike Tyson, but you assume they're not going to last that long,” said Groves. “After three or four rounds, it's likely they'll tire. But Golovkin has a style that allows him to set his own rhythm and get into his own groove and it's hard to knock him out of it.

“To beat him, you can't only be good at one thing. If you're just fast, you won't beat him. If you just have power, you won't beat him. He has so much time in the pocket to work you out. He'll find the openings.

“The most impressive thing I discovered was that he's exceptional at setting traps. He'll have guys thinking they'll avoid his punch power and move around the ring, yet he cuts the ring off, feints, sets traps and quickly gets them to fight his fight.

“It doesn't take him long. Once the ring closes on them, he goes to work and he has a great variety of shots, he works the body well, and, when he sees an opening, he has so much time. He's a wily old cat who can really bite.

“Ultimately, you're always on a knife edge with someone like Golovkin. You've got to be prepared to punch with him. You've got to be prepared to take a shot to land a shot at times. If you're too concerned about getting hit, you'll panic, make a mistake and end up getting hit and hurt. You have to try and land some shots of your own and command his respect. If he's got nothing to worry about, he'll be in that groove and rhythm of his all day.

“And you're not dealing with a technically poor fighter who has incredible punch power. He has incredible punch power and elite-level technical ability. This means he's always in the right place at the right time, with perfect balance, to land some of the most hurtful shots in boxing. That's a scary thing for most opponents.”

Groves concedes that Murray, 29-1-1 (12 KOs), isn't the type to get scared or overawed when placed in a daunting situation. In fact, he's shown in previous world title tilts, against Felix Sturm and Sergio Martinez, that he's the sort of fighter who rises to the occasion.

“I think Martin Murray is certainly a world-class operator and he has looked exceptional at times, usually when asked to step up,” said Groves. “He's proven himself to be one of the best in the division.

“Golovkin has gone through every one of his opponents like a hot knife through butter, so you wouldn't back against him or begrudge him being the favourite, but I get the impression Murray is a very tough man to beat. He's strong, he has a good boxing brain, he has a good variety of punches and he's very experienced.

“I also like the fact Murray has a bit of a maverick approach to boxing. He isn't signed to a standard UK promoter, he's got his own ideas and I understand and appreciate that. He's his own man. In these circumstances, that's the best way to be. And, with the hype around Golovkin, ignorance and single-mindedness could be a real blessing.

“Also, Golovkin is so busy and has been boxing so well, it could be very easy for him to take his eye off the ball or go a little easy in training because he knows he's scheduled for another three or four fights this year.

“Murray is not the sort of opponent you can take lightly. He can change and adapt to a certain degree; we've seen him fight up close with a tight guard and not give much away, and we've seen him box at mid-range and long-range behind a good jab and straight punches. He also looks like he's got good physical strength, so he'll be able to stand toe-to-toe when he needs to.

“All in all, I think it will definitely be one of Golovkin's hardest fights. I don't think Murray will crumble or get taken out early. We've seen good, durable fighters like Matthew Macklin and Daniel Geale crumble early against him, but I don't see Murray going that way.”

That gives you a twofer JBW not only are you now a world class pedicurist but your also the greatest flooring expert known to man.

Come on lads, what's Strongback said that's so unbelievable? He knew a guy who worked in a betting shop. That's hardly the most outlandish statement of all time. Debate the post not the poster and all that.

Back on point. I don't bet, never have but to only get evens for 5 outcomes doesn't seem too generous to me.

Used to gamble quite a bit (my blackjack winnings paid for the twins buggie), stopped after I got a bit too into it. Odds confuse the heck out of me anyway.


It's the cumulation (if that's the word dipper) of everything.

Anyone have any idea of the walk on times yet?

Probably is a bit of playing the man, rather than the post, but at the same time, hardly esoteric knowledge that betting with multis is probably better for the bookie. Certainly not news you can only stumble upon with the help of your local bookie.

kingraf wrote:Probably is a bit of playing the man, rather than the post, but at the same time, hardly esoteric knowledge that betting with multis is probably better for the bookie. Certainly not news you can only stumble upon with the help of your local bookie.

You might be surprised how many people do doubles and trebles. Cocky's bet that started this discussion involved him needing the results of 5 fights to go his way.

Are doubles and trebles the same as accumulators?

kingraf wrote:Probably is a bit of playing the man, rather than the post, but at the same time, hardly esoteric knowledge that betting with multis is probably better for the bookie. Certainly not news you can only stumble upon with the help of your local bookie.

I've never bet and I don't intend to start now...........However If I was young again and was inclined..........I would probably bet on the Red Sox to lose.........Or Man City over here !!

So I wouldn't be as upset when they did...

I imagine people do that......You either get a sum or If you don't........ it's money worth losing..

See, I think putting money on something would impair my enjoyment. If I put a bet on 2-1 in a football game and that was the score half time, I'd spend the second half hoping for no goes, which seems counter productive entertainment-wise.

I prefer sitting down with an anything goes approach. Although I'll 90% be supporting one side/person for some reason.

I only bet if I think the bookies have the price wrong. I don't follow the horses enough to know when that happens but in boxing sometimes I might have a bit of insight. Boxing odds are normally crap though. My mates bet on football and if I'm in the pub watching a game with them I'll throw a bet on for a bit of interest.

John Bloody Wayne wrote:I used to eat other people's fingernails off the floor.

Strongback wrote:I only bet if I think the bookies have the price wrong. I don't follow the horses enough to know when that happens but in boxing sometimes I might have a bit of insight. Boxing odds are normally crap though.  My mates bet on football and if I'm in the pub watching a game with them I'll throw a bet on for a bit of interest.

By "throw a bet on" of course what you mean is you get up leave the pub and go to the bookies round the corner from you seeing as how you don't do online betting as it's a little bit too easy yes?

Hibbz wrote:

Strongback wrote:I only bet if I think the bookies have the price wrong. I don't follow the horses enough to know when that happens but in boxing sometimes I might have a bit of insight. Boxing odds are normally crap though.  My mates bet on football and if I'm in the pub watching a game with them I'll throw a bet on for a bit of interest.

By "throw a bet on" of course what you mean is you get up leave the pub and go to the bookies round the corner from you seeing as how you don't do online betting as it's a little bit too easy yes?

It would be the betting shop, they often seem to be conveniently located beside pubs. I don't have an online betting account. If I bet on boxing I walk to my local bookies normally on Saturday afternoon, it's 5 mins from where I live.

I'm not a big gambler, it's a fools game. I know people who have had a real problem with it escalating to stealing a lot of money in the process. I also know somebody who worked in Boyle Sports call centre and he said some fairly tragic stuff goes on.

Nothing more tragic than a compulsive gambler going for that big big win 'don't worry i've got a system' etc etc, by the time a decent win does come round they've already lost twice that.

I'm fairly anti-gambling to be honest. Wouldn't say I begrudge those of sound mind and the means to do so putting on a bet but a lot of people get caught up badly in it.

Makes me uncomfortable how much gambling is ingrained in the culture of sport, football clubs having 'official betting partners' etc. I always think in game betting is rife for corruption and it brings into question the integrity of what you watch. Ugly business.

Worked in a pub during my uni days and the amount of times I'd see someone cash out on the bandit and throw it all back in was obscene. And I'd throw out all kinds of betting slips, Scottish third division games, the lot. Think we'd be better off without it.

Strongback wrote:

Hibbz wrote:

Strongback wrote:I only bet if I think the bookies have the price wrong. I don't follow the horses enough to know when that happens but in boxing sometimes I might have a bit of insight. Boxing odds are normally crap though.  My mates bet on football and if I'm in the pub watching a game with them I'll throw a bet on for a bit of interest.

By "throw a bet on" of course what you mean is you get up leave the pub and go to the bookies round the corner from you seeing as how you don't do online betting as it's a little bit too easy yes?

It would be the betting shop, they often seem to be conveniently located beside pubs.  I don't have an online betting account.  If I bet on boxing I walk to my local bookies normally on Saturday afternoon, it's 5 mins from where I live.

I'm not a big gambler, it's a fools game.  I know people who have had a real problem with it escalating to stealing a lot of money in the process.  I also know somebody who worked in Boyle Sports call centre and he said some fairly tragic stuff goes on.

I thought you lived out in the sticks like me....Take me at least half an hour to walk to Town.......and the bookmakers

House in the country 50mins from Dublin and an apartment in the city that I'm in a lot of the time as it's convenient for work. Spend more time in the country when the weather warms up.

But does strongy's 'self made man' country house eclipse, trussy's 'married into wealth' country estate? Tune in tomorrow for the latest episode of 'considerably richer than yow', where we find out if strongy's butler can bench press more than trussy's nanny.


Derby, re start times
For 3G v Murray, Hbo reckons 545 eastern time, they're not big on undercards I think ...so I make that 1145 in Monaco and 1045 uk time. That's slap in the middle of channel 5's coverage so sounds about right. I'd work to probably an 11.00 start  and an 11.01 finish.

No idea on Abraham smith, as I don't  care about it,

You've gotta throw your own name in the hat for that too Milky, you are after all a property magnate too (as is Toppy boy if i remember rightly)

Cheers for that, will be watching Smiffy too I hope as i'd like to see both our lads do well (think he's on a hiding to nothing though,) Josh Warringtons on the bill too so looking forward to that

Hmm with a bit of luck Smith AA will be on earlier and we can watch both.

milkyboy wrote:But does strongy's 'self made man' country house eclipse, trussy's 'married into wealth' country estate? Tune in tomorrow for the latest episode of 'considerably richer than yow', where we find out if strongy's butler can bench press more than trussy's nanny.

Hmm a slum landlord having a sneer.

Derbymanc wrote:You've gotta throw your own name in the hat for that too Milky, you are after all a property magnate too (as is Toppy boy if i remember rightly)

Cheers for that, will be watching Smiffy too I hope as i'd like to see both our lads do well (think he's on a hiding to nothing though,) Josh Warringtons on the bill too so looking forward to that

Where would be the fun in throwing my own name in the hat?!  Besides I'm small change next to the bench press boys... Wife and kids have cleaned me out!

I like Warrington, but seems they're keeping him busy with a stiff.

milkyboy wrote:But does strongy's 'self made man' country house eclipse, trussy's 'married into wealth' country estate? Tune in tomorrow for the latest episode of 'considerably richer than yow', where we find out if strongy's butler can bench press more than trussy's nanny.


Derby, re start times
For 3G v Murray, Hbo reckons 545 eastern time, they're not big on undercards I think ...so I make that 1145 in Monaco and 1045 uk time. That's slap in the middle of channel 5's coverage so sounds about right. I'd work to probably an 11.00 start  and an 11.01 finish.

No idea on Abraham smith, as I don't  care about it,

I own nothing unlike Strongbow......

Think If I have to choose I'd have picked AA Smith as I think that's more of a contest....

Going to be recording both however and it isn't the same..

Strongback wrote:

John Bloody Wayne wrote:I used to eat other people's fingernails off the floor.

Don't you dare laugh at me. Don't you DARE LAUGH AT ME.

EVER.

And that goes for the rest of you. I am a man of integrity and pride.

Strongback wrote:

kingraf wrote:Probably is a bit of playing the man, rather than the post, but at the same time, hardly esoteric knowledge that betting with multis is probably better for the bookie. Certainly not news you can only stumble upon with the help of your local bookie.

You might be surprised how many people do doubles and trebles.  Cocky's bet that started this  discussion involved him needing the results of 5 fights to go his way.

I'm well aware that doubles and trebles go down the pan often - but I'm not looking for as much "value" as possible from my 5 fold. A lot of people will back silly games because off £5 they pay at 5/1+.

The thing with short odds on prices is that this is a 2 horse race. If any one of the boxers in my list loses it would be viewed as a fairly big shock. Eubank is the only one I'm a little bit cautious about to be fair. But look, we'll be back on Monday morning which will give me a chance to slip my big "ITOLDYOUSO" up the cavernous rear end of yours such is the amount of she-ite that comes out of it.

Have also embarked on a little side betting project. It goes like this:

Put £10 in my skybet account a few weeks back. Now have £167.89 and haven't been remotely close to losing a bet since. How you may ask? Well, with that £10 I placed a bet on Arsenal to win one half against Aston Villa which was 1/10. Then took the £11 and then bet on another 1/10 bet (the odds are sometimes even shorter), and have been going along with that (using the whole balance as the stake after each win) ever since across a multitude of different sports. I'm around 30-35 bets in and nigh on £170 in the account from it. By my calculations it would take around 80-90 bets (depending on the odds) to get £50,000 in the account.

With a bit of research and time it's been pretty easy to avoid any scares whatsover (so far!).

Coxy001 wrote:

Strongback wrote:

kingraf wrote:Probably is a bit of playing the man, rather than the post, but at the same time, hardly esoteric knowledge that betting with multis is probably better for the bookie. Certainly not news you can only stumble upon with the help of your local bookie.

You might be surprised how many people do doubles and trebles.  Cocky's bet that started this  discussion involved him needing the results of 5 fights to go his way.

I'm well aware that doubles and trebles go down the pan often - but I'm not looking for as much "value" as possible from my 5 fold. A lot of people will back silly games because off £5 they pay at 5/1+.

The thing with short odds on prices is that this is a 2 horse race. If any one of the boxers in my list loses it would be viewed as a fairly big shock. Eubank is the only one I'm a little bit cautious about to be fair. But look, we'll be back on Monday morning which will give me a chance to slip my big "ITOLDYOUSO" up the cavernous rear end of yours such is the amount of she-ite that comes out of it.

Have also embarked on a little side betting project. It goes like this:

Put £10 in my skybet account a few weeks back. Now have £167.89 and haven't been remotely close to losing a bet since. How you may ask? Well, with that £10 I placed a bet on Arsenal to win one half against Aston Villa which was 1/10. Then took the £11 and then bet on another 1/10 bet (the odds are sometimes even shorter), and have been going along with that (using the whole balance as the stake after each win) ever since across a multitude of different sports. I'm around 30-35 bets in and nigh on £170 in the account from it. By my calculations it would take around 80-90 bets (depending on the odds) to get £50,000 in the account.

With a bit of research and time it's been pretty easy to avoid any scares whatsover (so far!).

That's pretty smart that Coxy and the perfect antithesis to the 'big score' gambler

Sounds like more than a bit of research there Coxy. Kudos to you though if you've got the patience to see it through. Sounds like a lot of fuss though.

Dipper Brown wrote:Sounds like more than a bit of research there Coxy. Kudos to you though if you've got the patience to see it through. Sounds like a lot of fuss though.

Yeah it will no doubt man sausage up at some point, but it's pretty fun to find the bets that are "short" but are more "guaranteed" than the odds suggest. If it gets up to £3/4k will be more interesting than anything to see if I've got the cahonas to keep rolling the bet over.

Problem is Coxy at some point someone will win against all odds and screw things up for you. Just take boxing alone Tyson Douglas, Braddock Baer and the like were all seen as the surest of sure things, with odds even outstripping Arsenal Villa.

My advise for betting is keep it in your pockets, there are very few skint bookies. Although my boss did give me a tip on the horses that came in at 12/1 yesterday.

Too many smart ar$es these days talking about surefire bets, dead certs and other such bollox designed to make then think they're cleverer than they actually are. It used to be all this online poker bullsh!t and everyone started thinking they were James Bond in Casino Royale. Most betting shops and arcades are filled with desperate people frittering away what little money they've got on the next "sure thing" then going home and selling their kids toys to fund the next session.

Sticking an advert on tv to make gambling look sexy and then having a little disclaimer at the end asking people to gamble responsibly doesn't make gambling "cool" especially when you're telling then they can bet on the number of corners, throw in and fouls during a game. may as well ask them to watch the match whilst stopping every ten minutes to flush money down the toilet.

These pr!cks who go on about Mayweather winning $1.2million on a bet should realize that if he'd stuck a fiver on, he'd have got back $8.75 which is slightly less impressive.

I won £37.50 Dave. I intend to fritter it away on drugs, booze and porn as my vices are way cooler than gambling.

Secret is to avoid the one that catches you out Rozza. Is a bit of fun at present, more an experiment really.

I won £37.50 Dave. I intend to fritter it away on drugs, booze and porn

Knowing how cheap it is 'oop 'norf Rowley will probably be on a two week bender of the above activities.

Should comfortably cover the costs of a three litre bottle of white lightning, a copy of razzle and some lighter fluid. Who needs anything else?

Rowley wrote:Should comfortably cover the costs of a three litre bottle of white lightning, a copy of razzle and some lighter fluid. Who needs anything else?

Well that's £7.50 right there, what about the rest? A splurge on Amazon purchasing a book on fighters who fought before the black and white era ?